All posts tagged The Satanist

Polish black/death metal overlords BEHEMOTH have released the official live video for the song ‘Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer’ from their uber successful latest album, »The Satanist«, on Nuclear Blast. This marks the first ever official live video for the band. Sparing no expense or artistic integrity, this video was shot by long time BEHEMOTH video collaborators, Grupa 13.

In 2015 the band will hit the road for 15 shows in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and in Czech Republic.

Commented singer/guitarist Nergal: “We are already eagerly awaiting our Second Coming to European shores in Spring 2015! We are teaming up for this run with some of the most exciting extreme metal acts – Swiss BÖLZER and Polish THAW, a must see jewels that you can not miss out! A two week trek will cover territories we haven’t explored with the first leg of the tour. Expect the best! We’ve never been in a better shape and we’re gonna prove that once again!

Nuclear Blast announces that With the release of their latest studio encounter »The Satanist«, Polish Black/Death Metal legends BEHEMOTH once again prove to be high up on the global Metal circus. The band, fronted by charismatic mastermind Nergal, has now been awarded for the “Best Album” at the annual Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.

Stated Nergal: “The awards have never been a motivation to our work…but when they happen, especially coming from such a prestigious media as Metal Hammer, we will embrace them! »The Satanist« – album of the year. Big deal for us! We hail everyone who made this possible… especially the BEHEMOTH legions worldwide who never fail in supporting us!”

»The Satanist« was released on February 07, 2014 via Nuclear Blast. The album was produced by BEHEMOTH, Wojtek and Slawek Wieslawscy and Daniel Bergstrand in Hertz Studio. »The Satanist« was mixed by Matt Hyde (SLAYER) and mastered by Ted Jensen (METALLICA, AC/DC) at Sterling Sound. The cover art for »The Satanist« was painted by renowned Russian painter and occultist, Denis Forkas (denisforkas.com). The paint used included some of Nergal’s own blood! Additional art and design was completed by Metastazis (PARADISE LOST, etc.) and Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, GHOST).

According to Metal Blade, BEHEMOTH‘s “The Satanist” is the number one album in Poland this week! The band announced this morning that they have been notified that the album sits atop the weekly OLiS chart, which is a chart of the best selling music albums in the Polish market. This news comes only a day after album debuted at #34 on the Billboard Top 200 charts in the US, 21 spots higher than the band’s previous album, “Evangelion.”

Behemoth comments on being at the top in their homeland: “Our hearts are bursting with pride knowing that such a radical and extreme art is scoring the highest positions on charts all over the world… and in this particular case, in Poland, where we come from. Thank you Michael, Marcin and the whole Mystic team for dedication and faith!”

Every artist’s goal is to continue to top their previous efforts, but rarely is it ever done in such a convincing fashion. Behemoth front man Nergal reacts to the news: “This news just knocked us out while getting ready to hit the stage in Lyon. It’s actually unheard of… I don’t think that ANY black or death metal artist reached a higher position on Billboard ever! We are eternally grateful to our fans worldwide for making “The Satanist” the game changer in Behemoth’s history! We’d like to show our deepest respect to Metal Blade and our manager, Chuck Andrews, for working their asses off for us and making this all happen. It’s fuckin’ surreal and we can’t even describe how proud we are. With “The Satanist” we are making history here! Hail Freedom! Hail Satan!”

“The Satanist” can be purchased now at your local record store. Head to recordstoreday.com to find a store near you, and as always, phone ahead for availability.

Behemoth will be returning to North America this Spring as part of the Metal Alliance Tour 2014! This will be the band’s first North American tour in support of their new album, “The Satanist.” Joining Behemoth on this tour will be Metal Blade label mates, Goatwhore, along with additional support from 1349, Inquisition, and Black Crown Initiate. The Metal Alliance tour will begin April 4th in Tempe, AZ and runs through May 3rd.

Metal Blade Records have announced that Nergal found NOT GUILTY on blasphemy charges yesterday to conclude six-year long battle in Polish court.

Behemoth’s highly anticipate new album, their first full length since 2009, “The Satanist“, has exceeded and demolished expectations on every front. It is with great pride that we officially announce that the album has debuted at #34 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, 21 spots higher than the band’s previous album, “Evangelion.” In Canada, the album debuted at #46 on the Top 200 current albums chart. The complete listing of “The Satanist” North American chart debuts has been posted below.

Every artist’s goal is to continue to top their previous efforts, but rarely is it ever done in such a convincing fashion. Behemoth front man Nergal reacts to the news: “This news just knocked us out while getting ready to hit the stage in Lyon. It’s actually unheard of… I don’t think that ANY black or death metal artist reached a higher position on Billboard ever! We are eternally grateful to our fans worldwide for making “The Satanist” the game changer in Behemoth’s history! We’d like to show our deepest respect to Metal Blade and our manager, Chuck Andrews, for working their asses off for us and making this all happen. It’s fuckin’ surreal and we can’t even describe how proud we are. With “The Satanist” we are making history here! Hail Freedom! Hail Satan!”

“The Satanist” can be purchased now at your local record store. Head to recordstoreday.com to find a store near you, and as always, phone ahead for availability.

In other news, Nergal announced yesterday via his official facebook page that he was finally found not guilty on blasphemy charges leveled against him in Polish court. This brings to a close the highly publicized legal battle that has been ongoing since 2008.

A video for “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer” and the music video for “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel can be found at the Metal Blade youtube channel HERE and at metalblade.com/behemoth. “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer” includes artwork and text from inside the digipak booklet. Ora pro nobis, which is latin for “pray for us”, features lyrics penned by Nergal, along with Krzysztof Azarewicz.

“The Satanist” was produced by Behemoth, Wojtek and Slawek Wieslawscy and Daniel Bergstrand in Hertz Studio. “The Satanist” was mixed by Matt Hyde (Slayer) and mastered by Ted Jensen (Metallica, AC/DC) at Sterling Sound. The cover art for “The Satanist” was painted by renowned Russian painter and occultist, Denis Forkas (denisforkas.com). The paint used included some of Nergal’s own blood! Additional art and design was completed by Metastazis (Paradise Lost, etc.) and Zbigniew Bielak (Watain, Ghost).

“simply the best Behemoth record ever.” Decibel Magazine

“perhaps the most enjoyable Behemoth LP ever…Before long, the line between aggression and artistry becomes blurred, and it is then that The Satanist truly impresses…perhaps their most glorious display ov blasphemy yet.” Sputnikmusic.com

“the most extreme thing they’ve produced since their early days as a pagan black metal band, with far more of that old cold, macabre atmosphere settling in, and a certain feral intensity deliberately tarnishing the band’s more recent penchant for polish.” SPIN.com

“A writhing, densely layered, brutally violent and sinister record, it is quite unlike anything ever unleashed within the canon of heavy music. As such it demands attention, offering ever-greater sonic and emotional depth with every listen.” Drumhead Magazine

Behemoth will be returning to North America this Spring as part of the Metal Alliance Tour 2014! This will be the band’s first North American tour in support of their new album, “The Satanist.” Joining Behemoth on this tour will be Metal Blade label mates, Goatwhore, along with additional support from 1349, Inquisition, and Black Crown Initiate. The Metal Alliance tour will begin April 4th in Tempe, AZ and runs through May 3rd.

According to Metal Blade, Prior to the release of “The Satanist”, Behemoth front man Nergal spoke with Decibel Magazine to discuss the new album, Nergal’s bout with leukemia, and the band’s status within the extreme metal scene, and much more.

“Cancer survivor, certified heathen, tireless laborer and extreme metal iconoclast Nergal leads Behemoth to shocking new frontiers”: read the full story in the March 2014 issue of Decibel Magazine, on newsstands now, and available online at decibelmagazine.com

“The Satanist” is available everywhere now. It can be purchased at your local record store, where a limited edition, exclusive Behemoth patch is available free with purchase (and while supplies last). Visit recordstoreday.com to find a record store near you. The album is also available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify. Those links are as follows:

“the most extreme thing they’ve produced since their early days as a pagan black metal band” SPIN.com

“A vital, crushing monster of an album, it feels as though the band is digging deep here, tapping into hidden reserves of infernal power to deliver an album of profane and powerful sonic destruction” AllMusic.com

Behemoth will be returning to North America this Spring as part of the Metal Alliance Tour 2014! This will be the band’s first North American tour in support of their new album, “The Satanist.” Joining Behemoth on this tour will be Metal Blade label mates, Goatwhore, along with additional support from 1349, Inquisition, and Black Crown Initiate. The Metal Alliance tour will begin April 4th in Tempe, AZ and runs through May 3rd.

BEHEMOTH frontman Nergal recently spoke with Ross Baker at Ghost Cult magazine. Following is an excerpt from the interview featuring Nergal’s take on extreme metal.

Nergal: “Extreme art should be shocking and provoke a reaction. I really hope we are viewed as more than just a Black Metal band. We are an extreme band that can communicate our ideas on so many levels. Extreme Metal music these days is often only extreme by definition. It is a never-ending process of striving for perfection. Too many bands are chasing this and the scene is becoming like the X-Factor for Black Metal. There is no danger and unpredictability anymore. The majority of Death Metal bands from the U.S.A are so generic, they all sound perfect. It is fast and technical but there is no substance. Bands forget about emotion when they strive for perfection. You should be driven by your intuition and not just be concerned with shredding on your guitar. Perfection is boring and uninspiring.”

“When people listen to The Satanist, it will stimulate them in many different ways. I saw Cabaret at the theatre recently and it was extremely moving. Extreme art must make people uncomfortable whether it is music, art or films. It has to be thought provoking. It takes a lot of energy for me to do this. I remember after my transplant when we started playing shows again. There was a time I thought I was going to pass out on-stage because it was so taxing playing the show and I did not have as much energy as before but now I am ready. I know I can give my all to this.”

Behemoth has posted the final Making Of video for The Satanist. This clip is the fourth in a series of four that chronicles a selection of the creative and technical processes behind the album. Nergal simply offers the following statement: “The Satanist is magic. It’s dangerous. It’s adventurous, and it’s organic.”

Check out all four clips below:

The Satanist was released on February 3rd in Europe/UK, February 4th in North America and Poland, February 5th in Japan and February 7th rest of world.

The Satanist was produced by Behemoth, Wojtek and Slawek Wieslawscy and Daniel Bergstrand in Hertz Studio and was mixed by Matt Hyde (SLAYER) and mastered by Ted Jensen (METALLICA, AC/DC) at Sterling Sound. The cover art, is a painting by renowned Russian painter and occultist, Denis Forkas. For the cover, Nergal’s own blood was included in the paint. Additional artwork was handled by Metastazis (PARADISE LOST) and Zbigniew Bielak (WATAIN, GHOST).

The Grupa 13 produced video for ‘Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel’ is one of Behemoth’s most unsettling and unique works to date.

Nergal discusses the video: “Yes, we took all the time in the world to complete this project. And we did everything that was humanely possible to accurately express our vision. We crossed the Rubicon. “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” is an ecstatic manifest of our unrestrained artistic will, where we dare to reach out beyond the limitations of the heavy metal genre. And it’s only the beginning…Enjoy!”

The limited edition (2,000 copies: 1,000 white and 1,000 black, 180 gram vinyl) 12″ EP of ‘Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel’ is out now via Behemoth/New Aeon Musick in Europe as a gatefold with each copy hand numbered and signed by the band. The 12″ EP contains the first single off of The Satanist, plus two non-album tracks: If I Were Cain and a cover from Polish Post-Punk New Wave legendary band SIEKIERA – Ludzie Wschodu.

Behemoth will embark on a headlining tour of Europe beginning on February 7th with CRADLE OF FILTH, IN SOLITUDE, INQUISITION and SVARTTJERN. In April they will be headlining the Metal Alliance Tour 2014 with GOATWHORE, 1349, INQUISITION and BLACK CROWN INITIATE.